Trade-off between conservation and exploitation of the transitional water ecosystems of the northern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Transitional waters (TWs) provide ecosystem goods and services that are essential for the well-being of human populations. These unpredictable aquatic systems, characterised by large environmental fluctuations, are under severe stress due to human activities. Increasing pressures (e.g. over-harvesting, eutrophication, habitat loss) inevitably lead to the degradation of these ecosystems. Analysis of the complexity of species distribution patterns within and among TW habitats is relevant to understanding the underlying processes and promoting appropriate management strategies. Assessment of the trophic status is one of the most critical aspects of TWs. Untangling the relevance of anthropogenic nutrient inputs from internal biogeochemical processes is of primary importance in defining appropriate restoration strategies. Biotic indices have been suggested as an operational tool to assess environmental quality in TWs. However, the application in TWs of indices developed for coastal waters can give distorted results (e.g. low species diversity and high abundance are natural features). The BITS approach provides a rapid assessment of ecological quality, although its sensitivity in reflecting field conditions remains to be assessed. The major challenge to TWs management is to couple long-term conservation with productive activities. This goal can be achieved using an integrated approach, forecasting conservation of TW ecosystem functioning together with sustainable economic development. North-western Adriatic TW habitats have been exploited for centuries and major shifts in ecological processes have occurred. In this study, knowledge of the ecological features of these habitats is summarised and analysed using recent ecological tools. Based on these findings, possible strategies for conservative management have been discussed.